In truth, among all the band members, the guitarist was the one she knew least.
Sometimes, she even struggled to recall his name.
After all, she had only collaborated with a few of the band members once, and subsequent interactions had been solely online, where her conversations with this particular guitarist were always the most sparse.
For some inexplicable reason, Ling Yechen felt that whenever she communicated with the guitarist, he always seemed to be talking to himself.
Now, a pressing question loomed: should she immediately reveal her true identity?
While convincing others of a supernatural event was undeniably difficult, perhaps by confirming details only they both knew, she could compel belief.
Xia Lang, for his part, did not appear overly surprised to have stumbled upon a fan; as the band’s most skilled instrumentalist, he indeed had a considerable following.
Deciding to disclose only partial information for now, Ling Yechen began, “That… I previously got in touch with Haylan.”
The guitarist’s fingers, which had been warming up on the strings, abruptly stilled.
Ling Yechen then recounted her phone conversation with Jing Lan in Du Lan’s room.
“What a coincidence!” Though the guitarist’s voice remained as steady yet slightly weak as their last meeting, a hint of excitement was unmistakable.
Beside them, Officer Niu’s son exclaimed, “This is the true power of music; fans are even helping you relay messages!
Even though we currently can’t reach your band’s keyboardist, knowing there are other survivor camps brings a great deal of peace of mind!”
Xia Lang strummed a somewhat cheerful rendition of ‘Guantanamera’ before setting his guitar aside, turning to the young man beside him.
“Little Niu, go persuade your dad to release the little sister.
Keeping her confined like this is truly excessive.”
Niu Xiaoma left briefly, returning with his father.
His father unlocked the duty room door, cleared his throat, and declared with solemnity, “I’m letting you out for some fresh air, but afterward, you must return to reflect.
Furthermore, your points ledger now shows zero.
We’ll gradually add points based on your future conduct…”
The two boys almost shielded Ling Yechen from Officer Niu, guiding her to a spot bathed in sunlight.
“Little Ma! You explain the scoring rules to her!” Seemingly preoccupied with other matters, the officer simply tossed the task to his son.
“Don’t pay too much mind to those scores!” The square-faced Niu Xiaoma clapped Ling Yechen on the shoulder with boisterous familiarity.
“My dad is always like this! He wants to set rules for everything!”
Xia Lang quickly interjected, “She’s a girl! How can you just touch her like that?”
Niu Xiaoma awkwardly took a small step back.
“Ah, my apologies! For some reason, I instinctively took her for a boy!”
“I swear, to mistake such a delicate girl for a boy, your eyesight must be terrible.
Oh, right, little sister, let’s introduce ourselves… I’m—”
Xia Lang suddenly paused.
“Wait a moment, you seem to know my name.
How is this possible?”
Ling Yechen had no choice but to repeat her explanation about having ‘doxxed’ everyone in the band.
“I can’t believe it, you really are a naughty one!” Xia Lang chuckled mischievously, though his somewhat frail-looking cheeks couldn’t quite convey genuine malice.
“I wish I’d known earlier; I would have kept you locked up—ah, wait, why are you still handcuffed?
What was the officer thinking just now!?”
Just then, several people passed by the parking lot and glanced over.
Ling Yechen, mortified by her handcuffs, turned away.
‘How humiliating, like a petty criminal…’
Xia Lang waved to the group.
“Is something happening?”
The leader of the group was Zhao Long, Officer Niu’s subordinate.
He motioned for his companions to remain quiet, then addressed Xia Lang and the others.
“Listen closely.”
As a gifted guitarist with an ear for intricate arrangements, Xia Lang could discern much from his surroundings with just a little attention, though he had been too engrossed in conversation earlier.
Now, pricking up his ears, he immediately recognized the sound that had caught Zhao Long’s attention.
Indeed, mere seconds later, Niu Xiaoma and Ling Yechen also heard it.
In the deathly still air of the small city, the sound grew increasingly intense—a low, rumbling groan.
It was the unmistakable sound of an airplane.
When the zombie crisis first erupted, there had certainly been sounds of helicopters and other aircraft overhead, perhaps indicating that some areas hadn’t completely fallen into chaos and planes were being dispatched to search for safe zones.
The roar of the plane grew closer, fainter than the passenger planes heard near airports in the past, suggesting a large drone.
“Is that a private plane?” Someone speculated.
“Our country doesn’t have many private planes,” another replied.
“Well, no one’s in charge now, so anyone can fly.”
Yet, a possibility suddenly struck Ling Yechen.
Jing Lan’s plan to rescue Keke from the National Middle School—to find a seaplane at the reservoir and land on the school’s rooftop.
Could he truly have pulled it off?
After a ‘clang’ and a rapid suppression of the roar, it transformed into a sharp, screeching sound, like brakes.
Xia Lang tugged at the strap of his guitar case on his shoulder.
“The plane seems to have landed.”
He looked up, cocking an ear, trying to pinpoint the sound’s origin.
“Could it be… it landed on the rooftop?”
Seeing Xia Lang in thought, Ling Yechen realized she had to divulge this information—Jing Lan might genuinely have flown the plane onto the school rooftop.
‘God knows how he managed it.
Did he just learn? Unlikely; there must have been a pilot.’
‘Even so, fighting their way out of a school teeming with student zombies would still be immensely difficult.’
‘Perhaps I should try to rally this group to go assist them.’
‘But would they risk their lives for strangers?’
‘At least Xia Lang is here.
Jing Lan and Keke are his close friends; he wouldn’t just stand by.’
Ling Yechen immediately moved to Xia Lang’s side.
“That might be Jing Lan’s plane!
When I called him earlier, he had already reached a camp in Mingshui City and planned to fly a seaplane to the National Middle School rooftop—”
Xia Lang seized Ling Yechen’s shoulder.
His usually somewhat frail and languid face was now distorted with exhilaration.
“He really told you that?!”
“Yes, really!” As the answer escaped her lips, Ling Yechen’s heart suddenly turned cold.
‘In truth, she hadn’t mentioned this during her call with Jing Lan.
The discussion about the plane plan had occurred before she transformed into a girl.’
‘If she were to reunite with Jing Lan, keeping her identity a secret would likely be unrealistic, as she had just divulged information to Xia Lang that would expose her.’
Xia Lang’s hand, trembling slightly from excitement, slowly loosened and dropped.
Ling Yechen had always considered him the most emotionally detached member of the band, but now she couldn’t help but revise her opinion.
“If Keke is still alive, then Little Hua is very likely still alive too.”
“Little Hua? Who’s that?” Ling Yechen asked.
“Xia Hua.
My younger sister.
She’s still studying at National Middle School.
If all goes as expected, she’d be moving with Sister Keke.”